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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

"We shall never get re-union with them."

Today's Gospel reading reminded me of the following comment by C.S. Lewis,

"The world of dogmatic Christianity is a place in which thousands of people of quite different types keep on saying the same thing, and the world of 'broad-mindedness' and watered-down 'religion' is a world where a small number of people (all of the same type) say totally different things and change their minds every few minutes. We shall never get re-union with them." C.S. Lewis in "God in the Dock", 1970 Erdmans Publishing p. 60.

"What was the Gospel reading," you ask?

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Matthew 7:13-21

The "broad minded and watered down" Christian path is a wide road that is so tempting to follow. It is a superhighway full of attractive pipers playing new tunes and their happy followers who seldom miss a chance to belittle those on the path of dogmatic Christianity. The pipers are the proverbial wolves in sheep's clothing, but their disguise is so good, and the path so easy, that those who do not pay attention to dogma are quick to follow them and to accept their false teachings.
While they are always welcome to step off the superhighway of death and destruction, forget trying to re-unite with them. Superhighways and footpaths don't work well together. The intersections are deadly.

You can't change a wide and constantly changing gate into a narrow, steadfast one either.

7 comments:

Those are pretty harsh words from the Gospel, but fear not revisionists! If we redefine the meaning of the words good and fruit, then you produce the good ones and those narrow minded fellows produce the bad ones.

Goal post shifting has become an end unto itself in the modern church.

Reminds me of the time I was chewed out by the canon to the ordinary. A parishioner had contacted her and complained that I preached and taught dogma. She would have none of that and warned me that I was on thin ice. Well, I was soon removed from the list of acceptable candidates for rector and the parish got the woman LGBT activist favored by the diocese. Dogma-free, now they have half the attendance and no young families. Oh, one more thing: the only thing keeping them financially afloat is the once or twice a year bequest that goes straight to the operating budget. Pretty soon they'll run out of old timers.

You cite an often used tactic of revisionism, redefining the meaning of words (something Lewis had a thing or two to say about), or better yet, confusing the meaning of words until the goal is long forgotten.

Daily Devotions 1928 BCP

Which Church Father Are You?

I'm St. Jerome!

I'm a passionate Christian, fiercely devoted to Jesus Christ and his Church. I am willing to labor long hours in the Lord’s vineyard, and I have little patience with those who are less willing or able to work as I do. My passions often carry me into temptation zones of wrath, lust, and pride.